michelle, good morning it you. >> reporter: hi. this has turned from a fraud trial into a very public dissection of nigella lawson's personal life. the former assistant's defense is that she had a daily cocaine habit among other drugs and that she would let them spend while they kept her secret. something that the celebrity today stridently denies. nigella lawson took the stand looking impeccably groomed. speaking loudly and confidently at first, but her voice often wared. at other times she angrily argued with the way her household was described. she said the staff were like members of her family -- >> i'm calm and ready for whatever life throws at me in the kitchen now. >> reporter: told the court that while she was generous with gifts to the sisters including a new set of teeth and. >> narrator: a nightclub, there was no authorization for them to spend more than $1 million over about five years. nigella's ex-husband, mogul charles saatchi agrees, but he testified when the sisters' allegations came to light, he asked household st